Microsoft and Apple continue to grow datacenter investment

Apple gets the lion’s share of notice, but Microsoft continues to invest in datacenter expansion, as evidenced by a recent vote by the Laramie (Wyoming) County Commission to apply for a $2.3 million grant from the Wyoming Business Council, for the Microsoft data center project currently being built in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Microsoft is building a $92 million datacenter and has discussed the possibility of investing another $66 million in the project, which was announced less than a year ago. The facility has already received two grants from the state with a potential value of $10 million. If approved, the latest grant would be the third one approved for the datacenter, and would be targeted at offsetting utility costs.

For Apple, construction is proceeding apace on their new facility in Oregon, where the local power administration recently completed work to expand the electrical substation near the datacenter in Pineville. While the plans call for two 338,000 square foot buildings, what locals have noticed is a monolithic black wall being erected, clearly part of the facility, as seen in the photo below from the Oregonian, which will conceal the view of construction from interested eyes, though thta's unlikely to be the primary reason for its existence..

In keeping with their historical policies, neither Microsoft nor Apple has announced exact dates for when these facilities will be in service.